John McVicar
Encyclopedia
John McVicar is a British journalist and one-time convicted armed robber.
. He was apprehended and given a 23-year jail sentence. He escaped from prison on several occasions and after his final re-arrest in 1970 he was given a sentence of 26 years. He subsequently took an Open University degree in Sociology and was awarded a BSc first class. He was paroled in 1978.
He wrote his autobiography, McVicar by Himself, and scripted the 1980 biographical film McVicar
, which starred Roger Daltrey
in the title role. After his release from prison he studied for a postgraduate degree at the University of Leicester
.
In 1998 he lost a libel action brought by sprinter Linford Christie
over his claim that Christie was a "steroid athlete".
Ironically, six months after McVicar lost the libel action, Christie's track career was ended when he received a two-year ban for taking a performance-enhancing substance.
In 2002, McVicar published a book about the Jill Dando
murder, Dead on Time, in which he paints the convicted killer Barry George
as a sophisticated liar, trying to appear too stupid to carry out a difficult mission. The book appeared after George's first appeal was rejected. (The conviction was overturned in 2008, and George released.) McVicar wrote Who Killed Jill? You Decide, in which he examines the British jury system. This second book is purged of the chapters recounting 'personal experiences' which McVicar claims were the product of poetic licence for the most part.
McVicar by Himself remains a benchmark for a classic escape yarn and one of the most popular stories of real and daring prison escapes of all times. In a recent TV series, Real Prison Escapes, a commentator and a McVicar contemporary observed that "John McVicar would have danced his way out of Alcatraz blind-folded". He is an outspoken opponent of prison rehabilitation initiatives, claiming that he was never reformed, but rather, chose not to be a criminal. Unlike other notorious 1960s Eastenders involved in crime at the time, he doesn't like talking about his past and refuses to "be defined by it".
Career
In the 1960s, he was an armed robber who was tagged "Public Enemy No. 1" by Scotland YardScotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
. He was apprehended and given a 23-year jail sentence. He escaped from prison on several occasions and after his final re-arrest in 1970 he was given a sentence of 26 years. He subsequently took an Open University degree in Sociology and was awarded a BSc first class. He was paroled in 1978.
He wrote his autobiography, McVicar by Himself, and scripted the 1980 biographical film McVicar
McVicar (film)
McVicar is a British drama film released in 1980 by The Who Films, Ltd., starring Roger Daltrey of The Who in the title role of John McVicar...
, which starred Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
in the title role. After his release from prison he studied for a postgraduate degree at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
.
In 1998 he lost a libel action brought by sprinter Linford Christie
Linford Christie
Linford Cicero Christie OBE is a former sprinter from the United Kingdom. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games...
over his claim that Christie was a "steroid athlete".
Ironically, six months after McVicar lost the libel action, Christie's track career was ended when he received a two-year ban for taking a performance-enhancing substance.
In 2002, McVicar published a book about the Jill Dando
Jill Dando
Jill Wendy Dando was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader who worked for the BBC for 14 years. She was murdered by gunshot outside her home in Fulham, West London; her killer has never been identified....
murder, Dead on Time, in which he paints the convicted killer Barry George
Barry George
Barry Michael George is a British man who was wrongly convicted on 2 July 2001 of the murder of British television presenter Jill Dando. His murder conviction was judged unsafe by the Court of Appeal and was quashed on 15 November 2007...
as a sophisticated liar, trying to appear too stupid to carry out a difficult mission. The book appeared after George's first appeal was rejected. (The conviction was overturned in 2008, and George released.) McVicar wrote Who Killed Jill? You Decide, in which he examines the British jury system. This second book is purged of the chapters recounting 'personal experiences' which McVicar claims were the product of poetic licence for the most part.
McVicar by Himself remains a benchmark for a classic escape yarn and one of the most popular stories of real and daring prison escapes of all times. In a recent TV series, Real Prison Escapes, a commentator and a McVicar contemporary observed that "John McVicar would have danced his way out of Alcatraz blind-folded". He is an outspoken opponent of prison rehabilitation initiatives, claiming that he was never reformed, but rather, chose not to be a criminal. Unlike other notorious 1960s Eastenders involved in crime at the time, he doesn't like talking about his past and refuses to "be defined by it".